Eighths to



(ModeL) r J. SCOTT.

APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING AND WASHING ORES.

Paten'tedMay 9,1882.

IN V T0115 WITNESSES ttarneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SCOTT, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF FIVD EIGHTHS T LEWIS PARKER, CHARLES QUENTlN, AND JOHN HENRY ANDERSON, ALL

or SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FORA-M-ALGAMATING AND WASHING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent.- No. 257,618, dated May 9, 1882.

Application filed April 26, 1,881. (Mode-l.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,JAMES SCOTT, of Den ver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and use 5 ful Improvements in Apparatus for Amalgamating and Washing Ores; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper- 1o taius to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification, andin which- Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is an end 1 view, and Fig.4 is a vertical transverse section.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like letters of reference.

This invention relates to machines for washin g and amalgamatin g gold and other precious 2o ores; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction of the same, whereby it is rendered especially valuable for placer-mining in localities where water is scarce, inasmuch as it does not waste the water, but uses it over 2 again continuously, as will be hereinafter fully shown and specified.

Referring to the drawings hereto annexed, A represents a suitably-constructed frame, which supports a semi-cylindrical pan or trough, B,

which I call the concentrating-pan. Said pan is divided into three compartments, the first or front one of which, 0, known as the gravel-compartment, is separated by a partition, D, from the second or water compartment, E, which is separated by a perforated partition, F, from the third or tailings compartment G.

Attached to the rear end of the pan B is a chute, H.

0 I is the amalgamating-cylinder, which is provided at the ends with spindles J, by which it is mounted in suitable hearings in frame A above the pan B. Said cylinder consists of an outer shell or casing, J, in which is secured 5 a cylinder, K, increasiugin diameter from the front or feed end to the rear end, where it is of the same diameter as the inside diameter of the shell or casing in which it is fitted. Tube K is provided on its inner side with several longitudinal ribs or flanges, L L, for the purpose o to be hereinafter described.

M is a tapering tube,'which may be square in cross-section, as shown in the drawings, located centrally and longitudinally in the cylinder, in which it increases in diameter from the front down to the rear end. The central portion of said tube is perforated, as shown, and separated by flanges N from the imperferate ends 0 and P. In the front end, 0, is placed a quantity of mercury, which is pre-. vented from wasting by the flange N.

Q, is an imperforate square tube, connected to the wide or rear end of tube M, and increasing in diameter toward the front end of the cylinder, terminating within a short distance 6 of the front end of the casing. The tube M has ends R S, with parallel sides, projecting through the ends of the casing. The front end,

R, is provided with an X-pnrtition T, in each of the compartments of which is placed an inelined plane or chute,U, leading from an opening, V, in the side down into the tube M;

W X are suitably-constructed lifting-buckets, attached to the cylinder and connected with the openingsV,into which they discharge. 7 Said buckets are fitted to work respective] y in the gravel and water compartments of the concentrating-pan. The rear projecting end,S, of tube M has openings Y for the escape of bowlders, 850., which drop down upon the chuteH at the rear end of the pan and are carried off.

Secured upon the outside of the cylinder-casing are several perforated buckets, Z,fitted to work in the tailings-compartment of the concentrating-pan and scrape the bottom of the 8 latter.

This device may be worked by steam, horse, or hand power,which is applied in anysuitablc manner to revolve the cylinder, and its operation is as follows: The gold-bearing dirt or gravel is shovcled into compartment 0 of the concen trating-pan,the compartmentE ofwhich is filled with water. As the cylinder revolves the dirt and water is lifted by the buckets W X and discharged through the openingsV in- 5 to the inner tube, M, of the cylinder. The dirt is first washed over the mercury in the front end,0, of said tube, where most oftheprecious metal is extracted and retained. The dirt then passes down through the slanting tube toward the rear end of the machine, where the coarse particles and bowlders pass over the flan ge N and out through the openings Y at the end, while the finer particles, sand, and the water sift through the perforated portion of tube M and into the imperforate tube Q, which, as stated, slants toward the front end of the machine, in which direction the tailings are thus washed. Tube Q does not extend quite to the front end of the machine, but permitsthe tailings to drop down into tube K, where they are agitated by means of the ribs or flanges L and washed to the rear end of the cylinder, where the tailings and water escape through suitable openings into the tailings-compartment G of the pan B. The water may now pass through the perforated partition F into the water-compartment E, while the tailings are scraped up by the buckets Z, from which they may be removed in order to be worked over. Said buckets Z are perforated in order to permit the water to sift back into the pan.

This invention is simple, inexpensive, convenient, and easily transported from place to place.

The shell or casing may be readily converted into a tank to be used for hauling water to the place of mining.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In an amalgamator, the concentrating-pan B, having compartments 0 E G, formed by the partitions D I the latter of which is perforated, substantially as described.

2. In an amalgamator, the herein-described cylinder, having the centrally-located partlyperforated tapering tube M, surrounded bythe imperforate tube Q, located within and communicating with a third or discharge tube, K, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. The cylinder I, having tapering tube M, the central portion of which is perforated and separated by flanges N from the imperforate ends, the front end of which forms a mercurychamber, as herein described, for the purpose set forth.

4. The cylinder I, having tapering tube M, constructed and arranged as herein described, and :provided with parallel-sided projecting endsR S, the former of which has partition T, chutes U, and openings V,in combination Willi the lifti n g-buckets WX, arranged as described, and discharging through the openings V into said tube M, as herein described, for the purpose set forth. y

5. The tube M, having central perforated part, flanges N, and projecting end S, provided with openings Y,in combination with the conoentrating-pan B, having chute H, substan- 'tially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. As an improvementin amalgamators, the combination, with the pan B, having compartments 0 E G and chuteH, of the cylinder consisting of the casing J, slanting tubes K M O, lifting-buckets W X, discharging into tubelM, the perforated tailings-hucketsZ,and suitable operating mechanism, all constructed and ar- 7 ranged substantially as herein described, for

the purpose shownand specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I-have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES SOOTT,.

Witnesses:

LEWIS PARKER, NATHA W. J ONES. 

